Wall section for dwelling



June 3, 1958 E. A. RETHMEIER 2,836,361

WALL SECTION FOR DWELLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 7; 1955 Fig. 2.

June 3, 1958 E. A RETHMEIER WALL SECTION FOR DWELLING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed July 7, 1955 E. A, Reth i uvmvron United rates The presentinvention relates to improvements in construction units for buildingsand is particularly directed to a novel wall or panel section of theprefabricated type.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a wall or panelsection which is so formed as to be easily secured in vertical positionand to be easily attached in secure wall forming alignment and loadtransfer relation with other similar sections.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a wall sectionwhich may be prefabricated at a factory and erected in place at the sitewithout any further treatment and without any special skill or knowledgeand to which other similar sections may be attached in an extremelysimple and speedy manner for forming load bearing walls.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a wallsection which includes spaced apart and connected inner and outer panelfaces that are provided at their upper and lower ends with interlockingmeans that interlock contiguous sections securely together and which areso formed attheir ends as to mate correctly and positively with thefaces of such contiguous wall sections.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a simple, durableand inexpensive wall section which can be erected by any person,irrespective of skill and experience, so that such a person can easilyerect a wall with such wall sections.

The foregoing and ancillary objects are attained by this invention, thepreferred embodiment of which is set forth in the following descriptionand illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a front elevational view of the exterior of the wallsection, with certain portions being broken away and others shown insection;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the wall section of Figure l, withcertain portions broken away and others shown in section;

Figure 3 is an end elevational view of the wall section;

Figure 4 is a front elevational View of the wall section forming acorner of a building and showing a window unit therein, and,

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the corner portion of the section shownin Figure 4.

While one embodiment of the invention .is illustrated in the attacheddrawing, described above, it is to be understood that such is merely forthe purpose of illustration, and that various changes in constructionmay be resorted to in the course of manufacture in order that theinvention may be utilized to the best advantage according tocircumstances which may arise, Without in any manner departing from thespirit and intention of the device, which is to be limited only inaccordance with the appended claims. And while there is stated theprimary field of utility of the invention, it remains obvious that itmay be employed in any other capacity 'wherein it may be foundapplicable.

With more specific reference to the drawings, the numeral 19 generallydesignates the wall section of this aten invention. Such section 10 isformed to be mounted on a foot plate, such as shown in dotted lines inFigure 1 and designated by the ntuneral 12, or may be secured directlyonto the upper surface of the subflooring of a building, if a foot plateis not used.

The wall section ll) includes inner and outer facing panels or sheets 14and 15, the inner sheet being preferably, though not restrictively,formed from plasterboard or the like material and the outer facing sheetbeing formed from plywood or t e like material. The panels arecoextensive in width and height, one example of such dimensions being 4feet wide by 8 feet high. The panels are secured, as by nails, toidentical studs 13 and 26, which are preferably two by four studs, whichare disposed the conventional 16 inches, center to center.

The studs are of a less length than the height of the panels so that theare set in at their upper and lower ends from the upper and lower edgesof the panels. The one side 22 of the wall section is left open whilethe opposite side 24 is closed by a two piece T-shaped stud member 26.The stud member 26, as shown in Figure 2, has a head 28, which issecured to the inner surface of the inner panel 14, at its side edge,and which projects beyond such side edge and beyond the side 24 of thewall section. A leg forming stud 3i is nailed to the center of the headand to the inside of the outer panel 16' and projects beyond the sideedge of the panel 16 at its free end.

Vapor barriers 32 may be used and are preferably secured between theinner panel 14 and the studs. Such vapor barriers may be made in sheetsand formed from aluminum, plastics and the like.

Between the studs 13 and 25, a bat of insulating material 34 isdisposed, the bat being suitably secured between the studs and'a similarbut 36 is secured between the stud 18 and the stud member 26. A similarbat 33 attached to the stud 2t and is disposed outwardly therefrom withits outer side edge'initially left free and spaced inwardly from theopen side 22 of the wall section.

As best shown in Figure 1,-the upper and lower wall stringers 4t and 42,which are formedfrom 2" by 4" material, are fixedly mounted on the upperand lower ends of the studs. The stringers are positioned between theupper and lower confronting edges of the inner and outer panels andproject above and below the edges of the panels. Preferably, suchextension is about one-half the thickness of the stringers. The upperstringer has its inner end overlying and secured to the stud 2i) whileits upper end projects laterally above and beyond the side 2 of the wallsection. The lower stringer 42 has its inner end underlying and securedto the stud 18 while its outer end extends laterally below and beyondthe side 22 of the wall section. Thus, the upper end of the wall sectionhas agroove 44 between the stud 2% and the side 22 while the lower endhas a groove 46' between the stud 18 and the side 24, such groovesbeingprovided by the extension of-the upper and lower edges of the panelsbeyond the ends of the studs and the olfsetting of the stringers.

During erection of the wall section it), the lower stringer 42 is nailedto the foot plate 12 or, in the absence thereof, to the .sub flooring.Since the lower half of the stringer 42 is exposed, the latter may betoe-nailed to said foot plate or directly to the sub fiooringat eachside of the stringer.

Arridentical .wall section (not shown) is then erected in alignment withsuch section 1% and is secured to the foot plate .or sub flooring, asdescribed above. Such second wall section has its extending stud memberfitted in the open side 22 of the wall section 10 and the panels 1- and16 are nailed to such stud member so that the ice edges of the panels 14and 16 abut the edges of the panels'of the added wall section. Theextending outer endof the upper wall stringer of the added wall sectionis positioned in the groove 44 and issecuredin @POSlilOH so that itabutsthe inner endof thestringerYiiPfLThe extending end of the lower wallstringer" 38 isireceived .in'thebottom groove of the added section. 5

Such overlapping of the extending ends of the wall stringers of thecontiguous wall sections ties the wall sec- 'tlons securely together incomplete load transfer relation- 7 ship and the tie stud memberszorigidlyconnect the wall sections in abutting relationship. a

With regard to the bat 38 f the wall section 19 the free edge thereofbecomes compacted or tightly pressed by the tie stud 26 of thesecond .oradded wall section so that it is held securely in place. However, adiiferent'type of bat may be'used, such as one which is encased betwcen.7 paper walls withon'e ofsuch walls disposed between the panel2i4 andthe stud 26 of the added'sectionfor maintaining the bat in position". vp 7 The wall section 16 and the added identical sections may be joinedtogether to form a corner, such corner con- 'struction being shown inFigures 4 and and being gen erally indicated by the reference numeral48. The corner is erected first and then the wallsections are erectedand tied together, as described above. V V V The corner construction iscomposed of a Wall sect on which includes inner and outerpanelslSO and52 that are nailed to the stud 54 at the prefabricating site. A. a

T-shaped studmember 26a is secured to the side of the Wall section 10a.The upper wall stringer 56 overlaps the stud member 26a and has itsouter end mitered. The

lower wall stringer 58 underlies the stud member 26a tened to the studmember 26a. The inside corner is defined by the angularly contactinginner panels of the wall sections 10a and 1% while filler pieces 62 and64 are fastened to the stud member 26a 60 to define the outercorner.

and to the corner post' Afterathe wall is erected, as shown partially inFigure 1 and above described, a single head plate 66" or a double plateformed of 2" by 6" boards is nailed tothe upper wall stringers of thewall sections sothat the rafters'of the building may be secured to thewall sections by being 7 nailed to the head plate.

Inasmuch as the upper edges of the panels'of the wall sections aredisposed lower than the upper wall stringers thereof, molding strips maybe nailed to the upper stringers on the inside of the walls to cover theinnersurfa'ces .of the stringers. a V

Any one ofthe wall sections may be provided with a window opening toaccommodate a window, such as the window 68 shownin Figure 4. Theopening is formed to receive headers of 2 by 4" material, such as theheaders 74 and 76 of Figure 4. The headers are -nailed to thestudsintheusualmanner. ,j 1 7 It will be understood that doors'and.other openings required for house construction shall be of substantiallythe same construction as that section containing a windown in Figure '4of the drawings, and-therefore' need no further consideration orexplanation'in this specification. j From the foregoing specification,itWill become apparcut that the invention disclosed will adequatelyaccom- V plish the functions for-which it has been designed and in aneconomical manner, and that its simplicity, accuracy, 7 v

and ease of separation are suchas to provide a relatively inexpensivedevice, consideringwhat it will accomplish, and that it will find. animportant place in the art to which itappertains when once placed en themarket. i

Changes in shape, size and rearrangement of details and parts such ascomewithin the purview of the invention claimed may be resorted to, inactual practice, if desired. 7 V r h s I claim; v e

l. A preformed wall section comprising spaced apart,

confronting inner and outer facing panels of coextensive width andheight, spaced apart, parallel studs interposed vertically between thepanels and to which the panels are fixed, said studs being spaced belowand above the upper and the lower end edges of the panels to define topand bottom grooves in the wall section between the panels,

wall stringers fixed in said grooves and extending partially above andbelow the top and bottom edges of the panels, said wall section havingopposing sides, one of said wall stringers being spaced from one sideand projectinglaterally beyond the other side and the other wallstringer being spaced from the other side and projecting laterallybeyond the one side whereby said wall stringers form an interlockingmeans for coupling the wall section to adjoining like wall sections.

2. A preformed wall section as claimed in claim .1. wherein one of saidsidesis open and the other side houses a stud member which is similar inlength to the studs and which projects outwardly from said side to fitin the open a side of an adjoining like wall section.

3. A preformed Wall section as claimed in claim 1,

wherein bats of insulating material are interposed between the panelsand secured to the studs and the stud member. 4. A preformed wallsection as claimed in claim, 1,

wherein vapor barriers are fixedly superimposed onthe inside of one ofthe panels.

'5. In a prefabricated wall unit, the combination which comprises spacedparallel panels positioned in'opposed relation, spaced verticallydisposed studding positioned between the panels, said panels beingsecured to edges of the studding, the upper ends of the stuclding beingspaced below the upper ends'of the panels and the lower ends of thestudding being spaced :upwardly from the.

lower ends of the panels, the edges of the panels atone side of the unitbeing extended beyond thelast stud, a T-shaped stud positioned betweenthe edges of the panels opposite to the'edges extended beyond the laststudwith a portion of the head of the stud and also part of. thewebthereof extended beyond thecorresponding edgesoflthe panels whereby witha plurality of the units assembled to form a wall the T-shaped studs ofone unit provide supporting means for extended edges of anadjoiningunit, and stringers mounted in upper and lower edges of the unit withone end of the stringer in theupper end spacedinwardly from one edge ofthe unit and theopposit'e end extendedfrom the opposite edge, and withone endof the stringer in the lower end of the unit spaced inwardly fromthe edge of the unitfrom which the stringerin the upper end extends andwith the opposite endextended from the opposite edge of the unit, theupper and lower surfaces of the stringers being extended beyond theupper and lower ends of the panels, respectively.

References Cited in'ithel file of this patentl L:

V UNITED STATES PATENTS V 1,236,635 Wells Q Aug. 14, 1917 2,332,732Laucks .Q' Oct. 26, 1 943 r 472,630 Stevenson .a June 7, 1949 FOREIGNPATENTS 486,483 Canada 'Sept..16, 1952

